Trajan Family Newsletter
January 9, 2024
Welcome Back! Happy 2024!
Principal's Note
Happy New Year! I hope this newsletter find you and your family well, and you enjoyed a restful winter break! It's hard to believe that 2024 is already here! The first half of our school year is nearly over, and plans are already underway for the 24/25 school year.
We have a busy few weeks in front of us--we have an ELAC meeting this Wednesday at 2:30, and our monthly PTA meeting is this Thursday at 6:00 PM. We honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., next Monday (no school), our iReady testing window opens next week, and Open Enrollment applications close next week. Whew!
Important Dates to Know
Trimester Two and Beyond
January 9--First Day of School, 2024
January 9--Special On-Time Attendance Day
January 10--ELAC Meeting, 2:30 PM
January 11--PTA Meeting, 6:00 PM
January 15--Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School
Jan. 19--Open Enrollment Application Closes, 5:00 PM
January 22--School Site Council Meeting, 2:30 PM
January 25--Character Assemblies
January 26--Attendance Incentive Activities
February 1--PTA Meeting, 6:00 PM
February 12--Go With the Flow Assemblies
February 19-23--Presidents' Week, No School
February 26--School Site Council, 2:30 PM
February 29--Walk to School Event
March 1--End of 2nd Trimester
March 5-9--Parent Conferences (Tuesday-Friday), 10:45 dismissal
March 25-29--Spring Break, No School
January 9th is an on-time attendance day!
Tuesday, January 9th is a special on-time attendance day! Students who arrive on time will receive a special an additional Trajan Attendance Dollar.
Trajan was the recipient of a $1,000 prize from our Attendance Improvement Program. This money is being used for our attendance awareness campaign and for positive attendance incentives.
Why does attendance in the early grades matter?
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Arrival and Dismissal Safety
Keeping our students safe at arrival and dismissal is one of Trajan staff's highest priorities.
Keeping our students safe at arrival and dismissal is one of Trajan staff's highest priorities. In December I met with the Community Safety Specialist from our Safe Routes to School program to discuss some unsafe behaviors that have been observed before and after school. After collecting our site data, we determined that there are several areas where our school community can improve:
DO cross only at crosswalks and corners
Crosswalks are the safest crossing points for pedestrians; drivers are more likely to be paying attention at crosswalks.
DO find a legal parking space and walk in to school with your child(ren)
Please make sure you are not blocking driveways, encroaching on sidewalks, or blocking visibility to crosswalks.
DO stay with your car at all times when in the pick-up/drop-off zone
Stepping away from your car for a moment constitutes parking in a loading zone; when you stay with your car, traffic flows more quickly and smoothly. Use ONLY the right lane to unload/load safely at curb.
DO NOT let children cross in the middle of the block or through traffic lanes
When children cross at unexpected areas or between vehicles, drivers are far less likely to see them, causing unsafe situations.
DO NOT make U-turns in or near the school
U-turns and backing up in school parking lots are among the most unsafe driver behaviors around schools for pedestrians.
DO NOT park in pick-up/drop-off or bus zones
If you have school business to attend to in the office, please use a designated visitor parking space or park off-site.
English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) Meeting, Jan. 10th at 2:30 PM
All parents of English Learners are invited to attend our next ELAC meeting on Wednesday, January 10th. It will be in Mrs. Simin's room (E-3) at 2:30. We will continue to discuss the needs of our EL students, and celebrate four students who have passed the ELPAC exam and have been formally reclassified to English Fluent Proficient!!
Open Enrollment Lottery Closes January 19th
- The Open Enrollment Lottery is an annual process that allows families who live within the boundaries of San Juan Unified School District an opportunity to request a school of their choice, provided there is space available at the requested school and families are willing to provide transportation.
- Available space is determined by defined physical and program capacity of the school after placement of enrolled resident students.
- The Open Enrollment Lottery application is available starting on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, at 8 a.m. through Jan. 19, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Apply Below for Open Enrollment for 2024-2025 School Year (12.4.2023, 8:00 AM - 01.19.2024, 5:00 PM)
English Link for Open Enrollment
Russian Link for Open Enrollment
Still Accepting Board Game/Card Game donations!
Thank you to the families who have donated board and card games to Trajan!
We are collecting games--like Uno, Connect Four, Checkers/Chess, Battleship, Guess Who?--for students to play at recess and lunch. Games offer a great opportunity to build friendships and work on social skills (turn-taking, polite conversation, winning and losing), as well as develop number skills, critical thinking, and problem solving.
If you are able to donate a lightly used (or even new!) game, please have your student bring it to the office. We will have a collection bin in the office entryway.
San Juan Unified Food Distribution
San Juan Unified Food Distribution is January 31st from 2-4 pm at the District Office (3738 Walnut Avenue, Carmichael). Visit www.sanjuan.edu/communityresources for more information!
Free Family Workshops
FREE January Family Workshops! www.sanjuan.edu/familyed
- January 11- Family Power Hour- 1.) Supporting Children with Problem Resolution 2.) TK/Kinder Enrollment, 5:30-6:30 pm on Zoom
- January 31- Loving Solutions Parent Series begins, 5:45-7:45 pm at Carriage Elementary